Apparatus for dispensing and automatically dismounting rolls of material



United States Patent Ofifice 3,073,541 Patented Jan. 15, 1963 APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING AND AUTOMAT- ICALLY DISMOUNTIN G ROLLS F MATERIAL J. C. Layton, La Habra, and Jack L. Perrin, Los Angeles,

Calif, assignors to Towlsaver, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif.,

a corporation of California Filed Apr. 1, 1960, Ser. No. 19,363 8 Claims. (Cl. 242-5553) This invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing material from a roll thereof and for automatically dismounting said roll of material after it has been partially consumed.

This invention is particularly applicable to a dispenser for material in roll form, such as paper toweling, where it is desirable that a partially exhausted roll of paper toweling be automatically dismounted from a first dispensing location in the dispenser and moved into a second dispensing location in the dispenser so that, when a custodian services the dispenser, the supporting bearings of the dispenser in the first dispensing location will be ready to receive a new roll of paper toweling.

While the principles of the invention are described herein as applied to a dispenser for roll paper toweling, it is of course obvious that they may be utilized with equal cogency in various other types of environments involving the dispensing of roll material or the utilization thereof and it is, therefore, not intended that the principles of the invention be limited to the particular embodiment thereof disclosed hereinbelow.

One of the major objections to the utilization of roll paper toweling involves the refill problem since a custodian se vicing a roll paper toweling dispenser must estimate whether a partially exhausted roll should be removed and replaced by a full roll or whether the partially exhausted roll will last until the next servicing of the dispenser. In order to play safe, many custodians simply remove a partially exhausted roll and discard it, which entails waste of toweling and increases the cost of roll towel service.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a dispenser for roll toweling or roll material in any form which incorporates first and second dispensing locations therein, which are referred to hereinafter as primary and auxiliary dispensing locations. The dispenser incorporates first and second bearing members at the first dispen-,

sing location adapted to receive a roll of toweling, said roll being characterized by the fact that in at least one extremity thereof it is provided with a first bearing surface, said surface being constituted by contiguous layers of toweling, which is engageable by the first bearing member. Therefore, when the roll is partially exhausted, consumption of the contiguous layers of toweling of said first bearing surface will cause the elimination of said bearing surface and permit said roll of toweling to drop downwardly into the second auxiliary dispensing position.

When located in the second or auxiliary dispensing position, the roll of toweling will still serve as a source of toweling until the custodian services the dispenser. Upon opening the dispenser he will automatically be apprised of the fact that a new roll needs to be placed in the dispenser and, since the partially consumed roll is already located in the second dispensing position, he will not discard the same but will permit toweling therefrom to be dispensed until the partially exhausted roll is completely exhaused. Therefore, the economic waste characteristic of prior art roll toweling dispensers is eliminated.

Another object of our invention is the provision of an apparatus for dispensing roll toweling which is characterized by the inclusion of a bearing member particularly adapted for engagement with a bearing surface on a roll of toweling constituted by contiguous layers of said toweling and so constructed that it will automatically release the roll of toweling when the contiguous layers of toweling have been consumed.

A further object of our invention is the provision of an apparatus of the aforementioned character wherein the first bearing member is incorporated in a body having a bearing portion engageable with the aforesaid bearing surface and a clearance portion adapted to permit the extremity of the roll in which said bearing surface is provided to clear said first bearing member, after said bearing surface has been eliminated in the above described manner, to permit the roll to drop downwardly from a first dispensing to a second dispensing position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, which is for the purpose of illustration only, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a roll toweling dispenser constructed in accordance with the teaching of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the broken line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken from the broken line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the first bearing member of the invention; and v FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the manner in which both extremities of the roll of toweling are supported within the towel dispenser.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to FIGS. 1-2 thereof, we show a roll towel dispenser 10 which includes a housing 12 constituted by a rear portion 14 adapted to be mounted upon a wall or similar vertical surface, not shown, and a front portion 16 adapted to be closed upon said rear portion and hingedly connected thereto at the lower extremity thereof by. hinge means 18.

A lock 20 serves to maintain the front portion 16 of the housing 12 in operative relationship with the rear portion 14 thereof, and cannot be opened except by a custodian having a key which will be received in the lock 20.

When the lock 20 is opened the front portion 16 of the housing 12 can be swung downwardly to expose the interior of the housing 12 and, more particularly, the rear portion 14 thereof which is provided with a first, upper dispensing location indicated generally at 22 and a second, lower dispensing location indicated generally at 24 in FIG. 2 of the drawing. The first and second dispensing locations may also be referred to as primary and auxiliary dispensing locations.

Positioned at the first dispensing location 22 within the dispenser housing 12 is a first bearing member 30 secured to the side Wall 32 of the rear portion 14 of the housing 12 by means of screws 34 and nuts 36. A second bearing member 40, which is spring-biased, is mounted on the side wall 42 of the rear portion 14 of the housing 12, as best shown in FIG. 5 of the drawing.

The second bearing member includes an elongated arm 44 and a cylindrical bearing boss 46 and is of conventional construction. The first bearing member 30 includes a unitary body 50 formed from a synthetic resin such as nylon, or the like, and includes a semi-circular bearing portion 52 which is disposed at the upper extremity thereof and which, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing, is of generally triangular cross section. The body 50 is also provided with a clearance portion 54 constituted'by a downwardly and inwardly oriented inclined plane, for a purpose which will be described in greater detail below.

Mounted in the lower extremity of the rear portion 14 of the housing 12 is a dispensing mechanism indicated generally at 60, said dispensing mechanism including an operating handle 62 and dispensing rollers 64 and 66 which are adapted to discharge a strip of toweling 70 through an opening 72. Secured to the bottom of the rear portion 14 of the dispenser housing 12 is a pair of spaced, upstanding locating tabs 74 which serve to locate a partially exhausted roll of toweling in proper orientation with the dispensing mechanism 61 A roll 80 of toweling 70 is placed at the first dispensing location in the housing 12 and incorporates an elongated core 82. At the left-hand extremity of the roll 80 the cylindrical bearing boss 46 is urged into the core 82 and supports said left-hand extremity, as viewed in FIG. of the drawing. The right-hand extremity of the roll 80 incorporates a bearing receptacle 86 which, as best shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing, has an inclined bearing surface or wall 88 defined by a plurality of contiguous layers of toweling 70.

Therefore, when the roll 80 is placed in the first dispensing location 22 in the dispenser housing 12, the first bearing surface 88 is engaged by the semi-circular bearing portion 52 of the first bearing member 30 and will serve to support the roll 80 until the contiguous layers of toweling 70 have been consumed. When this occurs the roll 80 will be automatically dismounted from operative engagement with the first bearing 30 and the second bearing 40 and will drop downwardly in the dispenser into the auxiliary dispensing position indicated by the roll 80, as best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

Therefore, when a custodian services the dispenser 10 he need not handle the roll 80' at all but need merely insert a new full roll 80 upon the first and second bearings 30 and 40. He also can thread the length of paper toweling from the new roll 80 into overlying relationship with the similar length from the roll 80 located in the second auxiliary dispensing location. Therefore, a double layer of toweling 70 will be dispensed until the roll 80' is consumed. Since such a double portion of toweling is dispensed, those using the machine will not call for a second supply of toweling and the toweling from the auxiliary roll 80' will be efiicaciously utilized.

Since the bearing surface 88 may be formed in the toweling at any location spaced from the center of the roll 80, it is possible to determine at what point the roll 80 will automatically drop downwardly from the primary to the secondary dispensing position Within the housing 12. Therefore, an automatic indication of partial consumption of the roll 80 to a predetermined extent is presented to the custodian servicing the dispenser 10 and there is no necessity for the guess work or discarding of partially exhausted rolls as in the case of prior artroll towel dispensers.

There is thus provided by the invention an apparatus which will automatically dismount a roll of paper toweling from a primary to a secondary dispensing position within the housing of the dispenser to indicate that a new roll should be installed, and to effectively utilize the partially exhausted roll. In addition, the provision of a bearing surface formed from the material on the roll eliminates the necessity for additional bearing members customarily provided in the ends of rolls of paper toweling. Of course, it is not intended that the principles of the invention be limited to any specific configuration of the bearing surface on the extremity of the roll of toweling nor to any specific configuration of the bearing member adapted to be engaged upon said bearing surface.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for dispensing and automatically dismounting roll material, the combination of: a roll of material having an axial bore extending centrally thereof and bearing surfaces at its opposite extremities, with one of said bearing surfaces being defined by a plurality of adjacent layers of roll material encompassing said bore; a first bearing member whose diameter is greater than said bore and which has a portion located outwardly of said bore engageable with said one bearing surface and adaptedto support the associated extremity of said roll until the partial exhaustionhof the material on said roll causes the consumption of said one bearing surface and the disengagement of said extremity from said portion of said first bearing member; and a second bearing member engageable with the bearing surface at the other extremity of said roll.

2. In an apparatus for dispensing and automatically dismounting roll material, the combination of: a roll of material having an axial bore extending centrally thereof and bearing surfaces at its opposite extremities, with one of said bearing surfaces being defined by a plurality of adjacent layers of material encompassing said bore; a first bearing member having an arcuate flange extending coaxiaily of said bore and externally thereof engageabie with said one bearing surface and adapted to support the associated extremity of said roll until the partiai exhaustion of the material on said roll causes the consumption of said one bearing surface and the disengagement of said extremity from said flange of said first bearing member, said first bearing member having a body incorporating a bearing portion and a clearance portion disposed below said bearing portion and adapted to permit the associated extremity of said roll to clear said body when said roll is automatically dismounted from said bearing member; and a second bearing member engageable with the bearing surface at the other extremity of said roll.

3. In a dispenser for roll paper toweling, the combination of: a roll of paper toweling having an axial bore and having first and second bearing surfaces at its opposite extremities, said first bearing surface being constituted by contiguous layers of toweling externally of said here and said second bearing surface being constituted by the wall of said here; a first bearing member in said dispenser having an axial flange engageable with said first bearing surface externally of said bore until the partial consumption of said roll eliminates the contiguous layers constituting said first bearing surface; and a second bearing member in said dispenser engageable with said second bearing surface.

4. In a dispenser for roll paper toweling. the combinaticn of: a housing; a roll of paper toweling in said housing having first and second bearing surfaces at its opposite extremities, said first bearing surface being constituted by contiguous layers of toweling; a first bearing member in said housing engageable with said first bearing surface until the partial consumption of said roll eliminates the contiguous layers constituting said first bearing surface; a second bearing member in said housing engageable with said second bearing surface; and an auxiliary receptacle in said housing for the reception of the partially exhausted roll of toweling after it has been auto matically dismounted from said first bearing member by the elimination of said first bearing surface.

In a towel dispenser, the combination of: a housing having a first dispensing location and a second dispensing location therein; a roll of paper toweling in said housing having first and second bearing surfaces at its opposite extremities, said first bearing surface being constituted by contiguous layers of toweling; a first bearing member in said housing at said first dispensing location; and a second bearing member in said housing at said first dispensing location engageable with said second bearing surface, said roll being receivable in said second dispensing location of said housing when said roll is automatically dismounted from said first bearing member by the consumption of the toweling layers defining said first bearing surface.

6. In a dispenser for'paper toweling, the combination of: a housing having a first upper dispensing location and a second lower dispensing location therein; a first hearing member mounted in said'housing at said first dispensing location; a second bearing member mounted in said housing at said first dispensing location; and a roll of paper toweling located in said housing at said first dispensing location and having a first bearing surface at one extremity constituted by a plurality of contiguous layers of toweling and engageable by aid first bearing member, the other extremity of said roll being engageable by said second bearing member, said roll being adapted to be automatically dismounted from said first bearing member when the partial consumption thereof eliminates said first bearing surface to permit said roll to fall downwardly from said first to said second dispensing location in said housing.

7. In a dispenser for paper toweling, the combination of: a housing having a first upper dispensing location and a second lower dispensing location therein; a first bearing member mounted in said housing at said first dispensing location, said first bearing member having a body incorporating a bearing portion and a clearance portion; a second bearing member mounted in said housing at said first dispensing location; and a roll of paper toweling located in said housing at said first dispensing location and havin" a first bearing surface at one extremity constituted by a plurality of contiguous layers of toweling and engageaole by said first bearing member, the other extremity of said roll being engageable by said second bearing member, said roll being adapted to be automatically dismounted from said first bearing member when the partial consumption thereof eliminates said first bearing surface to permit said roll to fall downwardly from said first to said second dispensing location in said housmg.

8. A supporting bearing adapted to engage a bearing surface constituted by a plurality of contiguous layers of material in a roll including a body, said body having an arcuate bearing portion of triangular cross section engageable with said bearing surface and a clearance portion adapted to clear the end of said roll when it is automatically dismounted from said bearing portion by the consumption of the contiguous layers of material defining said bearing surface, said bearing portion being con stituted by an axially extending arcuate flange projecting beyond said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,742,241 Miller Apr. 17, 1956 2,797,054 Ruch June 25, 1957 2,904,274 Hicks Sept. 15, 1959 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING AND AUTOMATICALLY DISMOUNTING ROOL MATERIAL, THE COMBINATION OF: A ROOL OF MATERIAL HAVING AN AXIAL BORE EXTENDING CENTRALLY THEREOF AND BEARING SURFACES AT ITS OPPOSITE ECTREMITIES, WITH ONE OF SAID BEARING SURFACES BEING DEFINED BY A PLURALITY OF ADJACENT LAYERS OF ROOL MATERIAL ENCOMPASSING SAID BORE; A FIRST BEARING MEMBER WHOSE DIAMETER IS GREATER THAN SAID BORE AND WHICH HAS A PORTION LOCATED OUTWARDLY OF SAID BORE ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ONE BEARING SURFACE AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORT THE ASSOCIATED EXTREMITY OF SAID ROLL UNTIL THE PARTIAL EXHAUSTION OF THE MATERIAL ON SAID ROLL CAUSES THE CONSUMPTION OF SAID ONE BEARING SURFACE AND THE DISENGAGEMENT OF SAID EXTREMITY FROM SAID PORTION OF SAID FIRST BEARING MEMBER; AND A SECOND BEARING MEMBER ENGAGEABLE WITH THE BEARING SURFACE AT THE OTHER EXTREMITY OF SAID ROLL. 